Saturday, March 15, 2014

Free Visualization Game: For Improved Reading, Writing, and Memory

Developing your student’s ability to visualize can provide them a “secret weapon” that can enhance learning capacity, improve memory and spark creativity. In fact, the research shows that visualization improves reading comprehension, creative writing abilities and the encoding and retrieval of math, history and science concepts.

Free Visualization Game:

I recently finished a book that reviews the history and research behind visualization and then provides teachers everything they need to assess and teach this complex skill. In celebration, I wanted to share one of my favorite games, Picture This and Draw. The best part about this particular game is it not only develops the capacity to visualize, but works on verbal reasoning, expressive language, visual memory, fine motor integration, spatial skills,

attention to details, and the ability to follow directions. This game is one that I enjoy playing with my own students. In fact, I played it this past week. You can also download the game Here

Jenna and I went to opposite sides of the room with two pieces of paper and some colored markers. We each drew images on one piece of paper and then described our pictures in detail on the other piece of paper. We hid our illustrations and then shared our descriptions with one another. Our next task was to recreate the images by generating our own visualizations from the words and then drawing it on a blank piece of paper. Once we finished, we compared the new drawings to the originals and analyzed the results.

Jenna's image is depicted to the right. Please note that it is important to keep images very simple. Below you will find a full description of the game.

Picture This and Draw:

Materials:

·Paper

·Colored pencils or magic markers

Group Administration:

·Draw a simple image, with no more than 3 - 6 very simple elements.

·Have one student or the teacher describe the image to the other students verbally or in writing. Use as many details as possible.

·Describe the size, color, number, shape and the location of the objects on the page.

·Next, have each student produce a drawing of his or her visualization based on the description presented.

·Make sure each student can not see what the other students are drawing.

·When all the students have finished, share the drawings with the group and discuss which student’s drawing is closest to the description.

·Discuss ways the presenter could have done a better job describing the image.

·Review each drawing and discuss what each student could do to improve his or her visualizations.

Individual Administration:

·You can also play this game one-on-one.

·Begin by going to opposite sides of the room so that each player can not see each other’s work (each player should have a set of colored pencils or magic markers as well as two blank pieces of paper).

·On one page, both players should make very simple drawings with no more than 3 - 6 elements, as in Jenna's image pictured above.

·Then, on the other page, each player should describe, in words, the image they drew with as much detail as possible.

·Next, the players should share with each other the description of the image they drew, while still concealing the drawing.

·Each player reads the other player’s description and completes a drawing based upon it.

·Finally, the players compare their images and discuss in what ways improvements could be made to the written descriptions, as well as the drawings.

Multisensory Multiplication and Division to Melodies CD - MMDM

Kangaroo Metric Conversions

College Essay Workshop

Eclectic Teaching Approach

Noodle the Noun Hound

Preppy the Preposition Penguin

Fraction Golf, Hockey and More

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact: erica@goodsensorylearning.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog may unintentionally contain content which might appear to present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.